PHA Board also welcomed Dr Anthony Wal as the Director of Curative Services and engaged seven new doctors with skills across a broad range of medicine.

Hela PHA Chairman Peter Botten said recently that PHA was relying on volunteer doctors to provide essential health services to a population of over 300,000 people and he is pleased with the progress of having a highly skilled team to develop PHA.

“It was only 18 months ago that we were facing a crisis where we had no executive team, no systems and only one government funded medical officer.

After a short period of time we now have a highly capable executive team, strong governance systems and seven doctors funded from within PNG government systems including two female doctors. This is a great outcome for the people of Hela,” Mr Botten said.

He thanked Dr Robert Paralu who was the lone doctor at Tari for many months until others arrived to provide much needed support.

He said commend Oil Search Foundation for working in partnership with PHA in providing good package in attracting professionals over to Hela.

The Hela PHA team is also determined to provide a positive and fun working environment so that people enjoy their work and have opportunities for social engagement.

Gynecologist Dr Lissing Hames said that it has been a privilege to work at the Hela Provincial Hospital where “there is a positive team based approach, great support and the opportunity to learn and develop new skills”.

The new acting CEO, Dr Kintwa brings a wealth of health and leadership experience to Hela. Previously the CEO of the Mt Hagen Hospital and of the Western Highlands PHA, Dr Kintwa understands the challenges and opportunities in delivering health services across an entire province and has the experience to further develop Hela’s newly created PHA.

Meanwhile there is challenge in Hela rural Health service due to lack of funding with PHA undertaking a rural health audit to determine the highest priorities for health services and will work with Government to improve the flow of funding.

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PUMA Energy PNG Limited yesterday (10/08/17) saw 43 process operators at its Napanapa Refinery in Port Moresby signing tripartite apprenticeship indenture contracts with the National Apprenticeship and Trade Testing Board (NATTB).
In congratulating the apprentices, Puma Energy country general manager Jim Collins said the event was a special occasion as having 43 apprentices indicated the company’s commitment to developing its people and ensuring a quality and qualified workforce in PNG.
Collins thanked NATTB for working with them on the processes involved in the training scheme.
He added that though still in its infancy, the scheme would never have come to fruition had it not been for NATTB’s guidance.
Collins encouraged the apprentices to persevere through challenges and to be committed to their training and studies as it would be tough for them since the apprenticeship was aimedat only producing the best of the best. And he hoped that all apprentices would make it through to the end.
NATTB representative Arthur Geno thanked the Puma Energy management and requested that both parties continue their dialogue for more skills training.
He also encouraged apprentices to make good use of the opportunity for their betterment as it was an investment from all three parties involved. Among the apprentices was Marie Malaga, the only female participant.
Malaga was grateful to Puma Energy for giving her the opportunity to receive the training and said that this was a huge achievement for her.
Also echoing Malaga’s sentiments was apprentice Jack Simon who said the event was also a highlight in his career. Simon added that he would do his best in the training as it was an opportunity not to be missed.
The contract signing between Puma Energy, NATTB and the apprentices is a four-year contract which actually started in 2015.
The contract ensures that the apprentices will receive global standard training and attain a globally recognised certificate at the end of the programme in 2018.

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By DEMAS TIEN
The Waigani National Court has dismissed an application by Frank Kramer to review a decision by Cabinet and Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s to remove him as director and chairman of the board of Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (KPHL).
Justice Colin Makail (pictured) dismissed Kramer’s judicial review case as it would have been an abuse of the court’s process because the matter was for private law and not pubic law to deal with, he said.
Justice Makail upheld arguments raised by Twivey Lawyers, representing the National Executive Council and the State, that the appropriate mode of proceedings to challenge the dismissal was by way of a writ of summons or originating summons.
“In my view, to commence and proceed by way of judicial review is an abuse of process of the court,” Justice Makail said.
The court found that the decision to dismiss Kramer was appropriately made by O’Neill as a KPHL trustee as required by the Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited Authorisation Act 2015.
The reason given by the trustee to dismiss Kramer on March 28 was that he failed to fill many vacancies in the board.
Kramer denied the allegation and said he took steps to have the vacancies filled.
In his review, Kramer questioned the involvement of NEC because he said under the Act NEC had no role to play in the dismissal of a director or chairman of KPHL.
He said the trustee breached the Act and acted beyond its powers when it sought the approval of the NEC to endorse its decision to dismiss him.
The NEC and O’Neill, through their lawyers, argued that the decision to dismiss Kramer was not reviewable because it was made by the shareholder of a company incorporated under the Companies Act 1997, being KPHL.
They said the dispute regarding Kramer’s dismissal was of a private nature where judicial review and reinstatement were not applicable.

The Prime Minister, Hon. Peter O’Neill CMG MP, has announced that the National Executive Council has decided to remove Frank Kramer as Chair and Director of Kumul Petroleum holdings, and subsequently appointment Sir Moi Avei to these roles.

Under Kumul Legislation, the Prime Minister of the day is a shareholder in Kumul Petroleum Holdings, has input to adjust the board and facilitate the new appointment.

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In light of a good turnout of commodity price in oil and gas internationally, now is a good time for investors to tap into the county’s energy sector.

That is the message from Prime Minister Peter O’Neill when officially launching the inaugural Petroleum and Energy Summit in Port Moresby today.

O’Neill when reflecting on the past few year said things were tough in the sector with income dropping by 80%; however, things have been improving making PNG a suitable place for investment and with the Papua LNG expected to start production sometime between 2021 and 2022, the government is optimistic about the energy sector.

“Today with the improvement in the global economy, the rebound in the commodity prices, we see positive changes taking place but we are not out of the dark yet, but there is light at the end,” the prime minister said.

Meanwhile, Petroleum and Energy Minister Nixon Duban assured current and potential investors that the government stands ready to work in partnership with them in developing the sector.

The three days summit has attracted over 200 participants, including delegates from Japanese gas companies who were at the summit this morning to highlight the market demand for gas in Japan and as well as the Asian region.

Picture: the highlight of Day 1 of the Petroleum and Energy Summit at the Stanley Hotel in Port Moresby.

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EXXONMOBIL is expected to complete the transaction for the multi-billion kina acquisition of InterOil this week after the Supreme Court of Yukon gave its approval yesterday.

According to InterOil, ExxonMobil is buying all its assets in a deal valued at US$2.5 billion (K7.94 billion).

On top of that is a contingent resource payment comprising US$7.07 per (InterOil) share for each trillion cubic feet of gas equivalent (tcfe) of gross resource certified in the Elk-Antelope field above 6.2 tcfe – up to a maximum of 10 tcfe. In June last year, Oil Search Ltd made an offer to acquire InterOil. But InterOil’s shareholders voted to accept Exxon’s offer calling it a “superior proposal”.

In a market release by InterOil yesterday, the arrangement was approved by more than 91 per cent of the shares voted at a special meeting last Tuesday and has now received all necessary approvals.

The court granted a final order approving the arrangement between InterOil and ExxonMobil.

A spokesperson for ExxonMobil told The National yesterday that the acquisition of InterOil as envisioned in the amended agreement “continues to represent a significant value to the Government and people of Papua New Guinea, as well as to InterOil shareholders”.

“ExxonMobil looks forward to closing the transaction in accordance with the plan of arrangement,” the spokesperson said.

The acquisition would add more natural gas to Exxon’s portfolio, and offer more reserves to supply for the company’s $19 billion (K58.4 billion) PNG LNG plant.

InterOil holds a 35.5 per cent of petroleum retention license (PRL) 15 of the Papua LNG project in Gulf which it had proposed as a second LNG project in the country.

The majority shareholder is French oil and gas company Total SA. Total yesterday said it had been made aware of the current InterOil and Exxon Mobil transaction status.

Managing director Philippe Blanchard told The National: “Once this transaction is completed, we will welcome ExxonMobil as our new JV (joint venture) partner on PRL-15 and the joint venture will keep progressing the Papua LNG project. The future of InterOil employees is yet to be made public although sources said some would be taken on board by ExxonMobil.

The Independent Consumer and Competition Commission which had been monitoring the transaction since it was announced yesterday that it would assess the court’s decision first before making a comment.

Commissioner and chief executive officer Paulus Ain said earlier this month that it was continuing its independent assessment on the acquisition of InterOil by ExxonMobil.

“The ICCC would like to state that the proposed transaction needed careful review before forming a view on potential adverse implications on competition in Papua New Guinea given the complexity of the different segments (upstream to downstream) of the petroleum industry (in the country) that are likely to be affected,” Ain told The National.

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The inaugural Papua New Guinea Petroleum and Energy Summit will be held in Port Moresby on February 28-March 2.

The event, endorsed by the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy with the backing of the National Government will be held at the Stanley Hotel.

Organisers say the event has an impressive speaker line up confirmed, with several members of the Papua New Guinean Government as well as global players such as ExxonMobil and Total.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill MP is confirmed to open the event with the keynote address.

Minister for Petroleum and Energy Nixon Duban, is part of the senior level speaker line up from the PNG Government.

Mr Duban commented: “We’re delighted to bring the countries first Petroleum and Energy Summit to Port Moresby and expect the inaugural edition to be a huge success.

“We have all of the key stakeholders from PNG and the region confirmed as speaker’s and expect some interesting debate and dialogue. I encourage all parties serious about working in PNG to attend this summit.”

Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (KPHL) who are also key in the staging of this event head of time announced yesterday, its managing director Wapuk Sonk, would be holding a press conference on Wednesday in relation to this major event.